5 Best German Movies

The 5 best German movies consist of cinematic plots of love, danger, war, insanity and vampires. Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Choose one which best suits your mood but first read on to find a little information about them.

"The Lives of Others" (2006). This won sixty-one awards and set the record for the most American nominations ever for a German film. An East Berlin agent uses a listening device to spy on a famous writer and his lover. Throughout the course of his post, the agent finds himself completely immersed in the lives of those he spies on. Trivia: The listening machines used in the film were authentic of that era and were on loan from museums and private collectors.

"Das Boots" (1981). This won eight awards. Forty-two young novice recruits and their Captain struggle to survive as they battle the open sea in U-boats during WWII. Hitler sent out 40,000 men in U-boats but only 10, 000 survived. Trivia: The bulk of the film’s budget went to construct U-boats and until 2006, this motion picture was the most expensive German film ever made.

"Nosferatu the Vampyre" (1979). This won four awards. Count Dracula moves into a house across the street from newlyweds. He bites the husband and the wife struggles to keep the vampire in her home until sunrise. Trivia: This movie brought director Werner Herzog into the international spotlight. His rendition of Dracula is considered one of the best of all time.

"Run, Lola, Run" (1998). This won twenty-six awards. A young woman runs against a twenty-minute clock to collect 100,000 Deutschmarks before her boyfriend robs a grocery store. The story takes you through three different scenarios which shows how small a few seconds can change the outcome of a life. A bit of trivia regarding this movie is that the lead actress playing the part of Lola could not wash her hair for seven weeks to maintain her dyed red color for the movie.

"Aguirre: The Wrath of God" (1972). This won three awards and is another Werner Herzog production. A 16th century, ruthless Conquistador leads an expedition through the bog of the jungles of Peru to find the hidden treasure in El Dorado. Driven by greed and drunken with power, he slaughters everyone who stands in his way. This movie has also been ranked as one of the “Top 50 cult films of all time.”

Enjoy these top 5 German films not only because of the awards they’ve won, but also because they evoke such a strong emotional reaction. After you've seen them all, you’ll agree that they are incredible films from Germany. For those who don't like subtitles, learn to embrace them.